Prediction: Legia Warsaw vs Chelsea

Verdict: Away win

Best odds: 1/2

Bookmaker: ZetBet

Conference League favourites Chelsea head to the Polish capital on Thursday evening for the first leg of their quarterfinal tie against Legia Warsaw.

Installed as frontrunners for the trophy from the moment they qualified, the Blues have lived up to expectations so far, delivering a series of commanding performances throughout the campaign to underline their continental credentials.

Legia Warsaw

Legia Warsaw made a flying start to their Conference League campaign, winning their first four group games to sit alongside Chelsea at the top of the standings. However, back-to-back defeats to close out the phase saw them scrape into the top eight, just enough to bypass the playoff round.

Their form in 2025 has been mixed, but the Polish giants showed their mettle by edging out fellow Conference League contenders Jagiellona Bialystok in the domestic cup before overcoming Molde in extra time to reach the quarter-finals.

Momentum is on their side heading into Thursday’s showdown, with a 5-0 thrashing of Ruch Chorzow sending them into the Polish Cup final, followed by a 2-1 weekend victory over Gornik Zabrze to boost their push for European football next season.

Chelsea would be wise not to underestimate Legia’s attacking firepower. Despite sitting fifth in the Ekstraklasa, the Warsaw outfit are the league’s top scorers with 50 goals. High-scoring wins over TSC, Dinamo Minsk, and Omonia Nicosia in the group stage further underline their ability to score freely.

Team News

Despite the magnitude of the upcoming clash, head coach Gonçalo Feio named a strong side at the weekend, and could opt for a similar XI on Thursday. Marc Gual and Bartosz Kapustka remain doubts due to injury precautions, while Jan Ziolkowski and Artur Jedrzejczyk are suspended.

On a positive note, Steve Kapuadi returns from suspension, and Luquinhas – who missed the Molde second leg – staked his claim with a match-winning brace against Gornik.

Chelsea

After breezing through the league phase with a flawless record, Chelsea continued their dominant run in the Conference League by comfortably dispatching Danish champions Copenhagen in the last 16, winning both legs without conceding a goal.

Now into the quarter-finals, Enzo Maresca’s side find themselves with a favourable route to the final in Wroclaw, set to avoid clubs from Europe’s top-five leagues if they can overcome Legia Warsaw. Awaiting the winners of this tie will be either Djurgardens or Rapid Vienna, further boosting Chelsea’s status as frontrunners to lift the trophy.

Victory would not only see Chelsea remain unbeaten in Europe this season, but also become the first club to win all three of UEFA’s current active club competitions—having previously lifted both the Champions League and Europa League, as well as the now-defunct Cup Winners’ Cup.

Despite that, recent domestic performances have been underwhelming. The Blues are struggling for rhythm, with their last five games producing just three narrow 1-0 wins, a goalless draw at Brentford on the weekend, and a 1-0 defeat. That stalemate saw Chelsea lacking invention in the final third, extending their winless away league run in 2025.

Interestingly, their only victory on the road this year came in this very competition, away at Copenhagen—perhaps a promising omen ahead of their visit to Warsaw.

However, Legia will not roll over easily. The Polish outfit have suffered just one home defeat since mid-September, though that did come in this competition against Lugano. They’ve shown they can make life difficult, especially at the Stadion Wojska Polskiego.

Team News

Cole Palmer – goalless in his last 11 appearances – was benched against Brentford, but Maresca insisted it was purely due to fixture congestion. The Englishman was joined by several regulars rested over the weekend, including Nicolas Jackson, Marc Cucurella, Levi Colwill, and Pedro Neto, suggesting Chelsea are going all-in on European glory.

Wesley Fofana remains out for the season, while Romeo Lavia is unavailable but would not have featured anyway, having been left out of Chelsea’s Conference League squad.

Conclusion

Chelsea should be expected to extend their perfect record in the Conference League to nine wins from nine on Thursday night, but their trip to Warsaw is unlikely to be a walk in the park.

Even with key players rested at the weekend, Maresca’s strongest XI has shown signs of stalling in recent weeks, and facing a confident Legia side on home soil could pose a few problems. The Polish outfit have impressed across all fronts this season and boast a formidable home record, though this quarter-final tie may prove a bridge too far against such seasoned European opposition.

Ultimately, Chelsea’s quality and depth should shine through, but Legia’s spirited run deserves credit regardless of the result.

Verdict: Away win

Best odds: 1/2

Bookmaker: ZetBet